Processes for producing polyethylene containing recycled non-polar polymeric material

A continuous polymerization process for the preparation of a polyethylene polymer blend product, the polyethylene polymer blend product comprising a blend of a virgin polyethylene and a recycled polyethylene, in at least one polymerization reactor, wherein the continuous polymerization process comprises:

• preparing a slurry of recycled non-polar polymer in a solvent;
• providing ethylene and, optionally, at least one C4 to C10 alpha-olefin comonomer, to a first continuous polymerization reactor in the presence of a first catalyst system;
• operating the first continuous polymerization reactor under solution polymerization conditions;
• thereby producing a first polyethylene product;
• discharging the first polyethylene product from the first continuous polymerization reactor into a second continuous polymerization reactor;
• providing ethylene and, optionally, at least one C4 to C10 alpha-olefin comonomer, to the second continuous polymerization reactor in the presence of a second catalyst system;
• providing the slurry of recycled non-polar polymer to the second continuous polymerization reactor;
• operating the second continuous polymerization reactor under solution polymerization conditions;
• thereby producing a first polyethylene polymer blend product comprising the first polyethylene product and the recycled non-polar polymer;
• discharging the first polyethylene polymer blend product from the second continuous polymerization reactor.

A continuous polymerization process for the preparation of a polyethylene polymer blend product, the polyethylene polymer blend product comprising a blend of a virgin polyethylene and a recycled non-polar polymer, in at least one polymerization reactor, wherein the continuous polymerization process comprises:

• preparing a slurry of recycled non-polar polymer in a solvent;
• providing ethylene and, optionally, at least one C4 to C10 alpha-olefin comonomer, to a first continuous polymerization reactor in the presence of a first catalyst system;
• operating the first continuous polymerization reactor under solution polymerization conditions;
• thereby producing a first polyethylene product;
• discharging the first polyethylene product from the first continuous polymerization reactor into a second continuous polymerization reactor;
• providing ethylene and, optionally, at least one C4 to C10 alpha-olefin comonomer, to the second continuous polymerization reactor in the presence of a second catalyst system;
• operating the second continuous polymerization reactor under solution polymerization conditions;
• thereby producing a second polyethylene product;
• discharging the second polyethylene product from the second continuous polymerization reactor into a tubular reactor;
• providing the slurry of recycled non-polar polymer to the tubular reactor;
• and
• discharging from the tubular reactor a final polyethylene polymer blend product.